Image pickup apparatus, method of controlling the image pickup apparatus, and external device

• US 20050128321A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Koide, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,586,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.990
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus which records a digital image signal by taking a picture of an object and which transfers the recorded digital image signal to an external device. The apparatus includes a buffer memory, an image saving memory, an image memory accumulation state judgment unit, and a transfer unit. The buffer memory is adapted to temporarily accumulate the digital image signal obtained by picture taking. The image saving memory is adapted to save the digital image signal. The image memory accumulation state judgment unit is adapted to judge whether or not a new digital image signal can be accumulated in the buffer memory. The transfer unit is adapted to transfer to the external device the digital image signal accumulated in the buffer memory if the image memory accumulation state judgment unit determines that any new digital image signal cannot be accumulated in the buffer memory.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. An image pickup apparatus which records a digital image signal by taking a picture of an object and which transfers the recorded digital image signal to an external device, said apparatus comprising:

a buffer memory adapted to temporarily accumulate the digital image signal obtained by picture taking;

an image saving memory adapted to save the digital image signal;

an image memory accumulation state judgment unit adapted to judge whether or not a new digital image signal can be accumulated in said buffer memory; and

a transfer unit adapted to transfer to the external device the digital image signal accumulated in said buffer memory if said image memory accumulation state judgment unit determines that any new digital image signal cannot be accumulated in said buffer memory.

19. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said buffer memory is controlled so that the accumulated digital image signal is erased or can be overwritten after transfer of the digital image signal by said transfer unit.

20. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a memory management unit adapted to recognize a usable remaining capacity of said image saving memory,

wherein, if said memory management unit recognizes that the remaining capacity has become smaller than a predetermined storage capacity, switching is performed from a mode in which the digital image signal transferred by said transfer unit is erased from said buffer memory or overwriting of the signal is enabled to a mode in which the digital image signal transferred by said transfer unit is erased from both said buffer memory and said image saving memory or overwriting of the signal is enabled in both said buffer memory and said image saving memory.

21. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a digital image signal record state judgment unit adapted to judge whether or not the digital image signal obtained by picture taking has been recorded in said image saving memory.

22. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said transfer unit transfers to the external device the digital image signal corresponding to the digital image signal recorded in said image saving memory if said digital image signal record state judgment means determines that the digital image signal obtained by picture taking has been recorded in said image saving memory.

23. A control method for an image pickup apparatus which records a digital image signal by taking a picture of an object and which transfers the recorded digital image signal to an external device, said method comprising:

an accumulation step of temporarily accumulating, in a buffer memory, the digital image signal obtained by picture taking;

a recording step of finally saving the digital image signal in a memory;

an accumulation state judgment step of judging whether a new digital image signal can be accumulated in said accumulation step; and

a transfer step of transferring, to the external device, the digital image signal accumulated in the buffer memory in said accumulation step, if it is determined in said accumulation state judgment step that any new digital image signal cannot be accumulated in the buffer memory in said accumulation step.

24. A control method according to claim 23, wherein the memory to which the digital image signal is saved in said recording step comprises an image saving memory.

25. A control method according to claim 23, wherein the buffer memory is controlled so that the accumulated digital image signal is erased or can be overwritten after transfer of the digital image signal in said transfer step.

26. A control method according to claim 25, further comprising a memory management step of recognizing a usable remaining capacity of an image saving memory,

wherein, if it is recognized in said memory management step that the remaining capacity has become smaller than a predetermined storage capacity, switching is performed from a mode in which the digital image signal transferred in said transfer step is erased from the buffer memory or overwriting of the signal is enabled to a mode in which the digital image signal transferred in said transfer step is erased from both the buffer memory and the image saving memory or overwriting of the signal is enabled in both the buffer memory and the image saving memory.

27. A control method according to claim 23, further comprising a record state judgment step of judging whether or not the digital image signal obtained by picture taking has been recorded in an image saving memory.

28. A control method according to claim 23, wherein said transfer step is adapted to transfer to the external device the digital image signal corresponding to the digital image signal recorded in said recording step if it is determined in said record state judgment step that the digital image signal obtained by picture taking has been recorded in said recording step.